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  TOP THINGS TO DO IN Kaohsiung, Taiwan We heard from friends and read on blogs that Kaohsiung is a must-see on a trip around Taiwan, but after checking out the major sites to see on online blogs we decided not to spend too much time here. We simply used Kaohsiung as a “stopover” to break up our trip from Chishang to Taichung. We caught an early train (~8AM) from Chishang to Kaohsiung and then booked another train around 6PM from Kaohsiung to Taichung. That left us about six hours to explore the area. The one thing we originally really wanted to do was visit the 佛光山西來寺 Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple (Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/8NvGXw2EKUxc91zb8 ), but we ended up deciding to srcap the plan because the town itself had a few things we wanted to cover and transport to/from Fo Guang Shan would’ve made catching our train a little tight. Here’s what did end up doing: > Dragon & Tiger Pagodas @ Lotus Pond - Perhaps the two most reviewed sites in Kaohsiung are the Dragon and T...

  TOP THINGS TO DO IN Taichung, Taiwan We scheduled a couple of days in Taichung to relax before heading to our next country. Like Chishang and some of the other stops, we only spent a few days here. Based on other blog we read, we didn’t see too many things of interest. So we just focused our time on walking around the city, taking it in, and trying to get a feel for it before we left. Taichung definitely felt like a big city, but still much more relaxed than Taipei. The central train station itself is a beautiful building with some fun large sculptures outside. Perpendicular to the station, what feels like the main street of Taichung shoots off down into the city. Along the street are shops as far as the eye can see. Here are a few of the highlights from our stay in Taichung. > Rainbow Village - This is a small housing block (it feels like 7-8 small house-like structures) that all have been colorfully painted. The story is that this old veteran’s village was painted by one of ...

  TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO TAIWAN ( Taiwan ) >> AREA OVERVIEW Taiwan is off the south eastern coast of China, north of the Philippines and due east of Hong Kong. It’s an oval shaped island that’s about 230 miles long from north to south and 90 miles wide from east to west. On the east is one of the country’s most beautiful national parks, Taroko. To the south you’ll find some beaches and a haven for surfers. On the west and to the north you’ll find Taiwan’s biggest cities. Most itineraries visit Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohshiung - all along the north and west. If you’ve got more time, then throw in Taroko National Park on the east along with a beach visit down south. >> BRIEF HISTORY Although originally brought under colonial rule by the Dutch, mainland China ruled Taiwan early on. Japan then took over china, but control was ceded back to China at the end of WWII. After losing a civil war in China, the Republic of China government fled to Taiwan and set up shop there. While...

Packing for a 6 month trip, which I had never done before, was challenging to say the least. I must have packed 5 different times and ultimately settled on what you see in the picture above. However, while traveling I realized I had STILL managed to overpack 🤦🏻‍♀️. Below is a list of all the things I took and what, in hindsight, I should have left behind. Gregory 15L backpack - TAKE - I LOVE this backpack. It fits great and can store a TON of stuff. Totally worth investing in a good backpack given its 1) going to be on your back for extended periods of time and 2) its your only big traveling pack Journal - DEPENDS - I thought I would enjoy writing in a journal but not too long into the trip I enjoyed writing on our mini laptop over writing in the journal. It was faster and easier for me to get my thoughts down and we were going to carry the laptop anyway.  Vapur Bottle - TAKE - This was so handy to have! Sunglasses - TAKE - Obvi. Nalgene bottles - TAKE - really useful for shampoo...